The cure-all you are looking for

Of all the worst professions to go to work deprived of sleep, who would be at the top of the list?

Police?

Firefighter?

Pilot?

Bus driver?

There are so many vital roles whose performers must be well-rested.

But among the worst of the worst of those to go without sleep, is the doctor.

As a doctor myself, I used to work at night. At first, it was not so bad. In fact, I thought it was amazing. I felt like I was seeing a whole new side of my profession.

I thought because there was not so much hustle and bustle around me that I could learn more when I was working late. I loved it.

But I did not love it for very long.

As I was working in the evenings, I would struggle to sleep during the daytime. This meant I was sleeping less and less, so my excitement only lasted a short while.

Soon I began to experience the brain fog. My memory became unreliable and fleeting. I became irritable and frustrated, and I began making poor decisions, which only worsened my frustration and hurt my attitude.

Feeling as bad as I did, and being as tired as I was, did not improve my eating habits. As well, the interruption in my sleep schedule interfered with the production of leptin, the hormone which controls appetite. 

I was hungry a lot, and you can bet I was not reaching for fruits and protein in those late hours, but junk foods instead.

After so long, cranky, flustered, sleepy, hungry, and sluggish all the time, I became depressed.

I had even more trouble sleeping even when I was supposed to be sleeping, which of course made my problems even worse. I felt like my life was spinning completely out of control. 

You can imagine this is a dire state for a doctor to go to work in.

I became desperate. I began looking for what may be the problem, and because I was so off-balance I could not see what was right in front of my face: I could not remember the last time I had a good night’s sleep!

I was ashamed to have missed such a glaring issue as a medical professional. I knew how important sleep was, but we cannot see the picture when we are in the frame.

After some adjustments to my routine, sleep came easier and I returned from the brink of mental health collapse.

And as a part of that process, I learned to love sleep again.

And I do not only mean I learned to love to sleep. I was reminded just how much sleep does for me, and why it is so, so, so important.

Many expeditions have sought the panacea, the mythical cure to all of the things that plague us. But all the while, it has been sitting right here before us.

Sleep is one of the human body’s most restorative processes. As you dream, your brain and body are…

• Flushing out toxins that have built up during waking hours
• Strengthening learning and memory
• Decreasing blood pressure, minimizing risk of heart disease and stroke
• Improving physical performance
• Clearing out beta-amyloid plaques (protein buildups associated with Alzheimer’s disease)
• Normalizing blood sugar levels, reducing risk of type-2 diabetes
• Increasing immune function
• Helping regulate appetite
• Aiding neurotransmitter creation (helping to chemically balance the brain)
• Balancing hormone levels

No wonder I was so miserable!

Knowing how much sleep does for us, it boggles the mind that we push it to the backburner.

We would not think twice about working an hour or two later than advisable, but we would never leave our surgery early. But they are like the same thing. You haven’t given yourself enough time to recover – and for that, your body will suffer!

How are your sleeping habits? Do you get enough sleep, or do you neglect your evening rejuvenation?

Do you feel rested and ready to seize the day when you wake up, or are you groggy and grumpy?

What steps can you take to improve your sleep, both quantity and quality?

Give it some thought… and sleep on it.

Make today your masterpiece!

Florina

PS: Know someone who needs to read this, send it with them or share it with your network so we help as many people as possible sleep better.